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Tough Work Done. Is It The Right Work? [Training Tip]

VClub — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:52:43 GMT

V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER

We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mountainpedalscoaching80903

Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.

Tough Work Done. Is It The Right Work?

In regards to my earlier article, "Training the Right Stuff at the Right Time", I've had some discussion with my athletes about not just working hard and being "tough" with a workout but making sure that the hard work done is what the training intention was. For example, if an cyclist is having trouble breaking clear of the peloton, yet can maintain a very high pace, has a high lactate or power threshold, then he needs to include anaerobic work to develop an explosive jump.

Sprints, or speedwork, and intervals are two very different animals. Speedwork has maximal efforts, maximal recovery time and every advantage is used to go fast, aided with the wind or slight downhill. Intervals can be with the wind, against the wind, uphill...on a course that mimics an upcoming race or event. They too have a specific time, in this case submaximal work but, unlike speedwork, the rest is a specific time regardless of how well the athlete has recovered.

Below are a few graphs that may help illustrate some of the points made.

#1 Sprint work: The first graph shows athlete A's 8" sprints, excellent spike of effort (explosive) with enough time for a full recovery in order to do another maximal effort. The goal of the sprint workouts are to stress the anaerobic system and to have enough recovery to replenish the energy stores within the muscle.

#2 Sub-maximal intervals, aerobic/tempo/threshold (athlete A): The slope of the line is a little too steep for a sub-maximal interval effort and needs to be a bit more gradual, more like a "hill" rather than a "spike." This shows me that the effort was more like a long sprint effort rather than a ramp up as in a TT or pursuit. The goal is to get to the cruising pace more gradually than you would in an explosive sprint.

#3 Sub-maximal interval (athlete B): With these intervals, you can see that the rider gradually ramped up to the given zone, a bit more time to actually get to the peak of the interval. This indicates that the effort ramped up to a certain level of pacing. Although this rider did 7 intervals last week, he felt that he could only do 3 quality intervals this week. Doing less with specificity and purpose is far superior than slugging through 10 half-baked "zoneless" intervals that do basically nothing but expend calories and compromise the next training session. Make sure the fatigue is from specific work that reaps dividends in fitness rather than just being a hard worker.

Tip: Concentrate on getting the gear going round to the target rpm in the appropriate gear (ie. 85-95 rpm in 52x16) rather than trying to get into the target heart rate zone as quickly as you can, will help you avoid working too hard, going anaerobic, to accommodate the phenomenon of heart rate lag. You can see this with the pacing of a pursuiter having a more relaxed start with the goal of getting the gear rolling to the optimal cadence, (not interested in acceleration) as opposed to the kilo rider who wants to get the gear going as fast as possible.

It's not always about being mentally tough and pushing through the workout. Certainly, that needs to be done, no question about that. However, when specific training is scheduled, whether speedwork or intervals with their specific work to rest ratios and intensities, the parameters must be adhered to.

Tough work AND the right work. It's time well spent.

Graph #1 - Athlete A - 8" Sprints

Graph #2 - Athlete A - Sub-maximal Intervals

Graph #3 - Athlete B - Sub-maximal Intervals

Marilyn

Technorati tags: cycling, training tip

UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis Begins to Dial it in at MERCO

VClub — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:48:39 GMT

March 6-7, 2010, Merced, CA – The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis put the MERCO races in Merced this weekend to good use en route to 4th and 5th places in the criterium and road race respectively.

“It was a good chance for the new guys and the veterans to start working together under race conditions,” said team Directeur Sportif Mike Tamayo. “And while we go into every race with the intention of winning, we also wanted to treat this weekend’s races as sort of like a pre-season game in football.

“We wanted to push the younger guys who are new to the program a bit.” Tamayo continued. “The races here in Merced gave them a chance to race with team leaders like Rory (Sutherland) and Tim (Johnson), and to learn our system and style of racing. And in that respect, this was a very successful weekend.”

Tamayo added that not having race radios this year will also affect the dynamic of the racing. “It’s important for the guys to really learn how to race in different situations,” he said. “They’ll need to know how to read races and react accordingly. The MERCO races had strong fields, and it gave the guys good preparation ahead of the first NRC race in Redlands at the end of this month,” Tamayo added.

UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis will continue that preparation next weekend at the three-stage Tour de Murietta, and the San Dimas Stage Race the following weekend ahead of the NRC opener in Redlands, CA, which begins March 25.

Photo: UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis

Technorati tags: cycling news, UnitedHealthcare

Sport At Its Best [Training Tip]

VClub — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:30:28 GMT

V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER

Sport At Its Best

There's more to be gained than victory.

Don’t believe it. Just because the media has medal tallies up to the ying yang, it isn’t what motivates the athletes to reach beyond their grasp sending them to utter exhaustion. Remember the German speedskater who fell down in the final metres with arms and legs sprawled across the finish line or Canadian figure skater, Joannie Rochette, who persevered through unimaginable grief to nail her program. Don’t be fooled, it’s not for the glory of the media or for another notch in their countries medal count. It comes from an internal, fiery passion deep within to go after the very limits of your ability.

I came across this commentary by Duff Gibson who hosts Sport At Its Best on the web, http://www.sportatitsbest.com/. On the heels of the Olympics, I thought I’d share some of his insight from those at the top of their game…

“Sport at the highest level, at least on the surface, appears to be about winning. Sport organizations have multi-million dollar budgets for coaching, sports medicine, exercise physiology, research into the technical aspects and so on. In most countries, at least a portion of that budget is based on the success of the team. In other words if they win, they are better funded. Certainly a great deal of effort and focus goes into winning but there’s so much more to be gained from sport than just a victory. Among other things, sport can teach leadership, respect, sportsmanship, the value of hard work, the reward in facing a great challenge, the lessons learned in the failures along the way, the importance of enjoying the process and so on.

And here’s a key point – it would be easy to assume that at the highest level, sportsmanship and fair play take a back seat to winning but this is clearly not the case. In fact, a great number of the most successful athletes in the world are also the ones who demonstrate the strongest sense of sportsmanship. In other words, although being completely dedicated to winning, they have an awareness of a bigger picture and have a value system that dictates exactly what is and what is not acceptable in terms of making it happen. These athletes have not only succeeded at the highest level but have a greater sense of fulfillment in achieving their success and are more likely to enjoy the process as well.”

It refreshed me to read more on this subject with many entries from the world’s best athletes. Head over to the website for some inspiration. Here’s a link to start you in the right direction: http://sportatitsbest.com/2010/02/03/clara-hughes-part-2/

Marilyn

Gibson lives with his wife and two boys in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and has a master’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary. As an athlete, Duff competed in many sports including wrestling, rowing, speed skating and bobsleigh before finding skeleton. Career highlights include a World Championship gold medal in 2004, a World Championship bronze medal in 2005 and an Olympic gold medal in 2006 in Torino, Italy. In 2006, Duff was also named Canadian male athlete of the year. As of 2008, Duff has been a National Program Coach with Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and provided commentary for CTV at the Vancouver Olympics.

Technorati tags: cycling, training tip

Team TIBCO Takes Two to Open the Season

VClub — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:47:44 GMT

Feb. 28, 2010, Merced, CA – The 2010 season got off to a strong start for Team TIBCO. Ten riders went straight from its training camp near Santa Barbara to Merced, CA to open its season with the Snelling Road Race and Merced Criterium this weekend. They came away with two wins, as well as two more podiums.

Rebecca Much opened the weekend with a strong win in Snelling, leading a Team TIBCO charge that saw the team take four of the top five places, with Devon Haskell finishing 3rd. Kristen LaSasso and Amanda Miller to the 4th and 5th spots for Team TIBCO. Only Olivia Dillon (Specialized D4W) spoiled the sweep, taking 2nd place.

One for the student in Merced
Samantha Schneider, Team TIBCO’s 19-year-old sprinting protégé, showed that she is a quick learner and finisher. The reigning U23 criterium champion took the win in the Merced Criterium after a textbook lead-out that saw Team TIBCO control the final lap of the race. Brooke Miller, who will be helping Schneider continue her development this season, finished right on her wheel to take 2nd.

“Our leadout was flawless,” Miller said, “which was really impressive considering this was our first time working together as a team in a race situation.”

Team TIBCO II posts solid results in Merced
The Cat. 4 women of Team TIBCO II also showed that the weekend spent training with the pro team in Carpinteria was beneficial. Ann Kodani took a strong 2nd place in the Snelling Road Race, while Jill Eyres took advantage of strong teamwork to finish 3rd at the Merced Criterium.

Team TIBCO riders go strong in New Zealand
While their 10 teammates took over the Merced area, three members of Team TIBCO put in strong rides in the Women’s Tour of New Zealand.

Reigning Australian national champion Ruth Corset finished 4th overall in the race after posting a pair of second place stage finishes. She also took home the Queen of the Mountains jersey.

Joanne Kiesanowski took 3rd in the final stage of the race, while posting 4th in the opening stage. She finished 14th overall.

Alison Starnes, riding for Team USA, helped teammate Shelly Evans to four stage wins and the overall title, as well as the team overall title. Team USA also took a fifth stage win by Amber Neben in the Stage 4 individual time trial.

Photo: Larry Rosa

Technorati tags: cycling news, tibco

Dealing with Race Jitters [Training Tip]

VClub — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:18:49 GMT

V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER

V-Club member Laurie Stojanovic is our 44th winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! Her question follows ...

Dealing with Race Jitters

Marilyn,

I’m looking forward to another season of racing. Any suggestions of how to deal with race jitters before I get to the start line?

Thanks,
Laurie

Laurie,

The goal of mental training is simple...simple as in uncomplicated rather than simple synonymous with easy. It's all about transforming your thoughts into believing in yourself and minimizing the things that distract you from performing at your best.

Although some may hide it better than others, each one of us battles with confidence. If we can know our strengths and not be afraid to confront our weaknesses/or the stressors that pull us away from realizing our potential, we will be that much closer to "finding the treasure within."

Take yourself back to some of the races in the past.

What are the things that enable you to race well?
What are the stressors that distract you from performing your best? (These can be found in other areas of life as well as cycling.)

Upon discovering the ingredients that enable you to train and race optimally, discipline and fortitude will take you a long way. However, in order to go further up the road to meeting your goals, figuring out what to do with the stressors is a different animal. (Many times this “animal” comes in the form of other human beings; their presence, speech, actions or expectations.) To deal with any of these distractions, your “mental power tools” have to be picked up without delay. Just like every cyclist should have a Third Hand tool in their tool box, here’s one for your mental tool box.

Third Hand Mental Tool: Relaxation/Visualization/Focusing

Relaxation – With your yoga background, you are definitely more accomplished than most cyclists in your ability to calm the body and mind. The next step is to take these skills to the saddle building in a more stressful situation as time goes on. You want to be able to physically elicit a relaxed and positive response while bringing a stressor to mind.
Visualization – In a controlled training environment, introduce the mental stressors that wreak havoc with your mind in a race and put a positive spin on the situation. During the tough threshold intervals, think about sustaining the speed in a blistering paceline, in speedwork/sprint training visualize being the lead rider in the final 200 meters or matching the speed of a ferocious attack and in force work try to pull up the image of a tough hill that threatens to crack you. See yourself pushing the pace during the toughest part of an “A” race you have planned for this season. The pedals are turning effortlessly, your breathing is controlled and powerful and the speed is exhilarating. Remember, "the body will only do what the mind allows it to do."
Focusing/Refocusing - Just as your physical training is intentional and specific so too the mental training. Being able to focus on your goals (performance goals are a very small part of the overall picture, task goals are always a better choice) and refocus when distractions/stressors come, will allow you to control the outcome when your energy falters. Here’s something to think about during those tough intervals when you don’t think you can squeeze out another one…”you’re on a tough climb hanging onto the lead group. You’re starting to slide back through the riders. Just can’t hang on anymore. Easing up will stop the suffering. The thought has gripped you and can’t think of anything else.” A great opportunity to refocus on the goal and redirect your negative thoughts. The unknown brings fear and doubt. If we have already “been there” and know how to deal with it, we can compete with a more determined disposition. Determination always beats fatigue in the end.

So, in the training days ahead, relax, visualize and focus. We want to do battle with the race situation time and time again before the actual competition. Grab a hold of the threat that whispers in your ear that you don’t have what it takes and the best thing to do is give up rather than hang on. I’m sure there have been times when you wanted to give up but you clamped down like a badger, didn’t give in and discovered a chink in your competitor’s armor. That’s the image you want to have etched in your mind.

Lastly, you want to hone your race day sequence - warm-up/start/... Write down an ideal race day sequence (script) that works well for you. I believe that if you are able to have a "script" or plan, it'll help you stay focused when the "hammer comes down."

Marilyn

"Be realistic. Do the impossible."

Technorati tags: cycling, training tip

UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis Wraps Up Training Camp

VClub — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:32:34 GMT

Posted by Jeff Sobul - Feb. 14, 2010

Fountain Hills, AZ – The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis wrapped up its official kick-off to the 2010 campaign Sunday following a week of training and team building in Tucson, Arizona, and a weekend gathering with sponsors, VIPs and special guests in Fountain Hills, outside of Phoenix.

“We had a great week of training up in Tucson,” said team director Mike Tamayo. “Everyone meshed together really well, and we have a lot of strong guys who we expect to work very well together.”

The team moved onto the Phoenix area to welcome team sponsors and guests, including key executives from UnitedHealthcare. Highlights of the weekend included two large group rides with team members and sponsors, as well as the formal team presentation hosted by cycling announcer Dave Towle. The weekend also featured an interview with UnitedHealthcare West Region CEO Steve Nelson and team captain Tim Johnson on the CBS Sports Report on KPHO TV.

“It was a highly successful weekend,” said Thierry Attias, President of Momentum Sports Group, which manages the team. “We had quite a few key people from UnitedHealthcare with us and they’re all extremely excited about the sponsorship. And we know their enthusiasm will carry through to their 80,000 employees. We look forward to helping support their mission of helping people live healthier lifestyles.”

The team will next assemble for the MERCO race weekend in Merced, California, March 6-7.

Photo: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us

Technorati tags: UnitedHealthcare, Cycling News

Best Time to Add Intensity? ... Depends [Training Tip]

VClub — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:46:04 GMT

V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER

V-Club member Pete van der Hoeven is our 43rd winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! His question follows and refers to last week’s training tip, “Training the Right Stuff at the Right Time”.

Best Time to Add Intensity? ... Depends

Marilyn,

Are you suggesting for masters athletes that the period after the 12 week aerobic base that more intensity be added in or that the intensity be sprinkled into the 12 week build up or during all of the off season? I'm having trouble understanding when you are saying aerobic base is less important - i.e. only for those with less than 5 years of training?

Peter

Peter,

My apologies for any confusion. The answer to your first question regarding when intensity should be added to a training program is "yes" to all the above. It depends mainly on time but also on goals, races, events... Generally, masters athletes don't have an abundance of time to fulfill the demands of the typical endurance training program. LSD training (long slow distance) is a big part of that model. Inserting this aspect into a masters program is just not an option because there's no time. Since time (volume) + intensity = workload, manipulating the intensity is the key for stimulating training adaptation for time in limited supply. A rider that has more than 10 hours/week is able to spend more time at a moderate intensity whereas one who has 6-8 training hours will better spend his limited time with several one hour sessions of intense intervals, recovery rides and a weekend ride of 1.5-3 hours.

Q#2 If a cyclist has spent much time in the saddle in previous years, even if there has been a training hiatus, fitness will come back much sooner than a newbie. Once the oxygen transport system has developed its capillarization, it doesn't go away. It may have become inefficient due to lack of use but will kick into gear sooner than one who has sat on the couch. Thus the need for a huge aerobic base is diminished. From my experience, young riders who have time on their hands and lack the aerobic development or older riders who have the money (retired) and want to race in the Senior Games because they rode a bike as a teen, both benefit greatly from a broad aerobic base. They "need more miles in their legs" as we'd say.

Technorati tags: training tips, cycling